In the telecommunications industry, the use of optical fibers for signal transmissions is accelerating. With the increased utilization of optical fiber systems, optical fiber cable management requires industry attention.
One area where optical fiber management is necessary is the routing of optical fibers from one piece of optical fiber equipment to another. For example, in a telecommunications facility, optical fiber cables may be routed between fiber distribution equipment and optical line terminating equipment. In buildings and other structures which carry such equipment, the cable routing can take place in concealed ceiling areas or in any other manner to route cables from one location to another.
When routing optical fibers, it is desirable to have at least one cable extend generally horizontally through a lateral trough section of a cable routing system, and to also have the capability to exit one or more cables from the lateral trough section. Also, there is a need to provide storage in connection with lateral trough sections. A further need is for storage of cable components, such as connectors within the cable routing system. Also, and perhaps most important, any routing system must protect optical fibers from damage. In the use of optical fibers, it is recognized that the fibers should not be bent beyond a minimum radius of curvature. For example, it is commonly recognized that optical fibers should not be bent in a radius of less than 1.5 inches.
In some cable routing systems, copper cables may extend coextensively with the optical fiber cables. There is a need to manage these two different cables in the cable routing system.